Companions
by Scarabbug
Summary: Being locked up certainly gives Spyro some meaningful thinking time to consider his relationship with that little dragonfly of his. This is my VERY FIRST FIC cringe! written especially for those who want to see some of Spyro’s less confident side…


**Anyone who's played _A Hero's Tail_ might know about the part where Spyro gets trodden on by, ahem, a woolly mammoth –okay now who didn't see that coming? – and captured. Sparx and Hunter go on a mission to save their friend, but I wonder what was going on in Spyro's head while he waited in a cage in the Icy Citadel, (probably with a severely wounded pride ). Anyway, being locked up certainly gives Spyro some meaningful thinking time to consider his relationship with that little dragonfly of his. This is my very first fic!!! written especially for those who want to see some of Spyro's less confident side… Enjoy, (or if you can't enjoy, at least don't come after me with pitchforks), and don't forget to review. **

_Italics _thinking

surrounded by these Sparx's voice.

I know, that's insulting your intelligence isn't it? Ahem… sorry…

The Dragon's Best Friend.

By Scarab Dynasty.

'Ow…'

Spyro opened his eyes very slowly trying hard not to move. Even the slightest attempt to shift his weight made the ground jolt and spin like he was caught in one of Bianca's whirlwinds.

Man my head hurts… 

_Okay this is the last time I go to Frostbite Village, I think I've got brain freeze…_

_Hey wait a sec, what's with the bars? _

'Oh great,' Spyro groaned, shaking his head painfully and standing up. The ground rattled and shook beneath him. 'Where the heck am I?'

The cage hung suspended over a ten metre drop. The bottom of the cage was ice cold and clung to the skin of his claws. A deep sense of horror (and not a little embarrassment) filled him as he realised what had happened. 'Oh no…' he groaned.

'New rule, Spyro, never get cocky with mammoths… what the hell happened? How'd I end up in here? And Sparx… where's Sparx?' he opened his mouth and yelled. 'Sparx? where are ya, buddy? SPARX?!' 

There was no answer and no sign whatsoever of the cheeky, glittering insect. Spyro sat down again hopelessly, staring at the bars. He swept his wings back and forth a little, trying to encourage some heat'_Great, this just rocks doesn't it? I lost my dragonfly. He's probably been mauled by that mammoth_. _Or crushed, or frozen in a blizzard, or eaten by a Gnorc…_

'_And I wasn't there to help him…_'

Spyro gazed through the bars at the ground quite far below him. His prison hung in the centre of a round chamber, strange brightly coloured light filtering though the icy stained glass of the windows. There was nobody around, a crisp wind whistled through the open window behind him and the ugly taste of cold in the air threatened to spill into a violent snowstorm.

_There's no way Sparx could get through this. Not alone… _

He felt lonely, and strangely quite vulnerable. He hadn't been without Sparx in such a long time that even the simple absence of the dragonfly was intensely disturbing. He shut his eyes, trying to conjure up an image of Sparx's grinning face in his mind and somehow bring him back. Of course it didn't work.

He thought about the Mammoth. Red's monster. If that creature had managed to get him banged up here, what on earth would it have done to poor Sparx?

There had to be a way out. Experimentally, Spyro gave the bars a smack with his horns, they rattled but nothing more. He tried to pick the lock with a claw, but that didn't work either. He stretched his neck through the bars as far as it would go, the freedom of the outside world agonizingly close as he tried to squeeze his way out between them, but even he wasn't that small. In frustration, Spyro swallowed a gulp of air and encouraged the heat to bloom in his stomach. A bubble of flame filtered through the air, momentarily heating the cold. Then the bars reflected the fire against them and Spyro winced in pain as the embers of his own fire breath were thrown back in his face.

'Ah!'

_Okay, bad idea, don't do that Spyro._

It hadn't felt so cold when he'd been able to keep moving, running through the icy fields and caverns seeking out the dark gems that were slowly destroying all the light in his world. Now however, he was trapped in one place with nowhere to go and the cold was catching him up and crawling over his body. He grit his teeth, painfully reminded of just how sensitive dragons were to the cold.

_NOW what am I meant to do?_ Spyro thought as he rattled the bars with his tail. _I haven't got time for this. While I'm stuck up here, the dark gems'll spread, Red's going to take over the dragon world, Sunny Speedway is gonna be overrun with Gnorcs…_

_And me? I'm going to die of cold. _

He thought about Sparx and what Red's monster must have done to him. A powerful feeling of guilt wrenched his stomach. The dragonfly who always stood by his side, never asking for anything in return, had surely paid the ultimate price for loyalty.

But then that was Sparx for you. Good old, cheerful Sparx, never worrying a bit about himself.

Like when I decided to find Gnasty Gnorc. Sparx said he'd come, that he'd follow me wherever I went and never let me be alone. I was happy for that, glad of the company.

_I'm alone now, and so are you. If you're still out there. Noone to talk to. _

_What will you do buddy? Assume I'm gone for good and not bother looking? _

_No. No Sparx would never do that. He'd never let himself think that way. _

_I wonder what the other dragons will think of the great Spyro Artisan now._ He thought sardonically. _Ember will probably worry about me. She's going to be so mad. _

_Poor Ember…_

_Hey wait a sec, what am I thinking? Ember drives me crazy! _

_Doesn't mean I want her to cry though. Doesn't mean I want to see her hurt like that… _

_She cried when I went to the swamp. She tried not to let me see. She begged you not to go in there, didn't she Spyro? She thought she'd never see you again._

_She was scared. Hell, you were too but you'd rather have gone out in a blaze of glory or something stupid like that than let whatever was in there crush you before you'd even faced it. Couldn't let it beat you… Sparx knew that, he understood what you had to do, so why didn't anyone else?_

'…Nobody'll ever do that to Spyro,' Spyro whispered the end of his trail of thought aloud. 'Nobody ever. Even if it destroys him. Even if it makes Ember cry.'

_Wait a sec, now I'm talking to myself. Great, just great!_

_I must be going crazy. This must be that jailhouse-psychosis stuff they were talking about in that movie…_

After a while there was the sound of scratching claws. Spyro sat up sharply, hearing it and looking at the window. A huge bird had rested on the open frame and was watching him with beady black eyes.

'What do you want, birdbrain, come to watch me freeze to death?' Spyro muttered, (wincing in pain from a cramp in his back legs that decided to act up at that very moment). The huge bird watched him blinklessly, snapping it's beak open and closed in a threatening manner. 'Well I ain't dead yet, so you can just go get your carrion somewhere else!' The bird uttered a quiet squawk. If Spyro hadn't known better he could've sworn it was sneering at him. 'Yeah well… caw, caw yourself!' he snapped angrily. 'Lousy vulture, get outta here…'

The birdbrain however, wasn't to be put off. It beat its wings and flew down close to Spyro's cage, experimentally stabbing its beak at him through the bars. 'What're you doing? Hey ow… OW!'

Spyro staggered, the cage rocked and he fell against the bars with a clang. He cursed, felt a rush of anger to his heart and let out a sharp breath of electricity. Shards of lightning bounced between the bars and around the walls of the room, then reflected back at him. Spyro cried out as electric shocks ran through his bones like bullets. He'd never realised his own attacks hurt so much. It almost made him feel sorry for the Gnorcs he'd torched.

The vulture shrieked, it seemed to Spyro, with laughter, flapped its way out of the window and flew off through the snow.

'Damn you!' Spyro leaned out through the bars, yelling at the sky above. 'So what're you gonna do, Red?' he yelled. 'Just leave me here? Wait for the frostbite to get me? Oh yeah that's real brave!'

_Well you know what, tough guy? I'm sick of being brave. _

_Good ol' Spyro_…_ Doesn't let anything get him down._

_Only Spyro can't fight anymore. He's going to freeze. Right here in a cage, because he was too much of an idiot to run away while he had the chance._ Spyro screwed his eyes shut with fury. _I wish my friends were here…_

_H_e opened his mouth and cried out again, louder this time. 'HEY! Is there ANYBODY THERE?'

There was no reply other than his own echo. Spyro scowled, feeling a little stupid.

_Noone. Just you, Spyro, just you on your own._

_Guess it's been like that for a long time. I mean, who saves the heroes round here?_

( )

( )

Without warning, the vivid cold in Spyro's mind turned instantly to a smouldering heat and the soft, white wetness of the snow became the hard, dry scratchiness of coarse red sand.

The sun beat down in torrents on the dry hard rock as the small, violet skinned dragon followed the trail of the thief into the grim depths of the canyons. Sparx's wings moved so fast they blurred the light as he struggled to keep up with his partner as he raced across the rocky ground desperately trying to keep track of the enemy.

Spyro screeched to a halt between two jagged outcrops of rock leering up out of the orange alcoves like fortress towers, his heart beating hard in panic. The laughter of the thief still rang in his ears, echoing against the canyon walls.

'I don't see him!' he gasped, catching his breath as Sparx finally managed to pull alongside him, the dragonfly zipped back and forth through the air, searching the canyon with prying eyes.

There!> he cried at last, the voice echoing in Spyro's mind made perfect sense, even though all that emerged from his lips was a soft kazoo-like buzzing. Spyro followed his gaze as the dragonfly reached out in the direction of a rocky outcrop where steep, sandy steps were climbing up the side of a roughly-constructed building of thick red sandstone, it's solid bricks cracking from the endless heat –there hadn't been rain in the dry canyon for three whole centuries, hence the title. I see him!>

'Where?'

He went that way. Stop him!>

'Don't worry,' the young dragon snapped, smoke trailing from his nostrils as he spoke. 'He's NOT getting away with it.'

He cleared the steps, racing in the direction Sparx was pointing, towards the mocking cackle of the egg thief's laughter. The creature ducked in and out of the rocky outcrops. Raced over the red stone bridges. Flew through the dingy passageways that the dragon people had built through the cliffs of their canyon home. Spyro could never remember running so fast or feeling so charged up in his life and Sparx was having a hard time keeping up.

Spyro!> he cried, slow down, you're going too fast, it might be dangerous!>

Spyro didn't seem to hear, or if he did he chose to ignore him as he followed the thief through the sand and up towards the highest towers of the canyon, his feet pounding on the dry, hot rock. Every now and then the thief would stop and apparently seem to _wait_. Wait until Spyro got so close that he could make out the leering white of it's teeth and the glimmer shining on the eggs surface, yet as soon as he paused to attack, it would belt off again even faster than before, kicking the sand up into his face.

After the third time of spitting out sand, the thief burst through a gap in the canyon wall and vanished.

'W-Where'd he go?' Spyro gasped, choking on the sand in his throat. 'Sparx, we can't lose him!'

There!> Sparx jabbed at the canyon wall, I saw him, he went that way, through the wall.>

Spyro looked at the dragonfly grinning, wondering what on earth he'd do without him. Sparx could probably spot a spider sitting on a cavern floor fifty metres away. He raced in the direction the dragonfly signalled darting between the rocks and emerging in a huge open plain of sand and orange stone. Three sides of the canyon were blocked off by towering walls of stone, and the forth, directly in front of him, reached out into emptiness –a cliff face and a solid drop into oblivion.

And there was the thief. Stood right on the brink of the cliff edge, the egg clenched in its hands and the smirk glued to its ugly face. For a second it paused. Beady black eyes peered out from under a turquoise hood.

'Enough!' Spyro snapped, 'I'm not playing games anymore. Hand over that egg and I might decide not to totally kick your—'

The thief laughed. It seemed to dance at the cliff edge. Balancing the egg on the palm of its hand. 'You heard me!' Spyro yelled. He tried to lunge forwards but the thief was faster. As soon as Spyro moved, he snapped out the hand holding the egg and dangled it perilously over the edge of the cliff. Spyro came to an abrupt, frightened halt and the egg thief sneered. 'No,' Spyro whispered, his voice low and threatening. 'You… you DARE drop that and I'll kill you, I _swear_ I'll kill you!'

I don't think he's listening, Spyro,> Sparx whispered.

The thief sniggered, then it turned to face the cliff. Spyro felt a chill of alarm race up his spine as he realised what was going to happen. 'No!' he yelled. The thief gave a small snigger, taking a single step back from the edge. It lunged forwards…

And leapt right off the edge of the cliff.

( )

( )

Spyro didn't have any idea how long he'd been out, but when he tried to open his eyes again they protested violently, as if they'd been glued shut. His left side felt frozen and cemented to the bars. His breath emerged from his mouth in eerie clouds of crystallised dust. He was shivering, and that wasn't something dragon's do often.

He pulled himself to his feet, wincing and cursing to himself as the icy bars stuck to him. If he had to stay still here much longer he was going to get sick. His whole body already felt deadened by cold and he didn't dare breath fire to heat things up knowing he'd probably only end up blinding himself again.

Spyro had never felt so alone in all his life.

He got back to wondering (or worrying) about Sparx. His Sparx, who was probably trampled by the mammoth or crushed between its huge blunt teeth.

_Remember those trips between realms in the hot air balloon, Sparx? We'd spend the whole time talking about everything an' nothing…_

_At least you made for good conversation. It would have been a lonely trek through empty worlds if it wasn't for you. We'd completely forget that we'd soon be fighting for our lives… and in your case, trying not to get splatted._

_We don't talk so much anymore. It's like you've ran out of things to say. You just hover there quietly, trying to make yourself useful._

Spyro felt a grim smile spread across his face. Why did Sparx have to be so damn nice all the time?

He screwed his eyes tightly shut and tried not to think about small, helpless creatures getting splatted.

( )

( )

Once again Spyro opened his eyes onto sand and rock and watched in panic as the Thief's body hurtled through the air over the edge of the cliff, screeching with laughter all the while…

Spyro felt the breath catch in his throat and Sparx uttered a squeak of alarm as they raced to the edge of the cliff, only to find that the thief had not plummeted into oblivion after all. Quite the contrary. They saw him flying through the air, twisting and turning before dropping down and landing on a rocky platform over fifty metres away from the cliff face where he had been standing only a moment before. The Dragon's jaw dropped, his black eyes shone with amazement.

'Okay, how the HELL did he do that?' he yelled.

Don't lose him Spyro, keep going!>

'How?' Spyro snapped. 'How the heck am I supposed to get to him now?'

You'll find away! You have to, Spyro, he has that baby!>

'Oh man…' Spyro groaned. Surely he couldn't glide that distance? It was too far. His thin, infantile dragon wings would never be able to hold him, and Spyro hadn't yet learned how to fly…

He glanced anxiously around at the canyon before noticing the ledge – the thin outcrop of rock that ran along the edge of the canyon wall from there, all the way over to where the thief waited. The thief who any moment now would vanish into the rocks so they lost him and his unborn cargo forever.

'Come on, this way!' Spyro yelled, making a beeline for the ledge. Sparx hesitated, only for a second, glancing uneasily at the thinness of the projection. Then he looked up to see Spyro was already halfway across running ahead of him.

H-hey! Spyro wait for me!>

Spyro kept his eyes locked on the thief as he clung as close to the cavern wall as he could, taking it one slow, uneasy step at a time. The thief was watching him all the while with its beady stare and mocking grin. Spyro, please, I don't think this is safe!>

Not for the first time in his life, Spyro ignored his dragonfly's sensible advice. All he thought about was the unborn dragon whose soul lay dormant in the heart of that egg. 'Sparx if we don't speed up, that kid is gonna be hard boiled on the rocks, you _told me_ not to lose him!'

I-I know but…>

The ground beneath them gave an unwelcome shudder. The thin, sharp sound of cracking rock sounded in Spyro's ears. He turned back –not quickly enough– to see the earth move and the end of the outcrop they were walking along beginning to crumble away.

Spyro!> Sparx's voice screeched in his ears. Spyro gripped the rock beneath his claws even as it crumbled and gave way.

'Hang on!' he yelled. All thoughts of being careful and taking it "one slow step at a time" abandoned, he started to run.

Sparx didn't bother to point out that, (as an insect with no opposable thumbs) he didn't have much to "hang on" with. It was all he could do to fly along behind as the dragon raced desperately against the crumbling ledge beneath him. Faster and faster as he fought to stay ahead of the rock that was disintegrating under his feet, knowing that if it caught up he would fall and probably never stop falling.

Look out!> Sparx wailed as Spyro made one last powerful jump and spread his wings, catching an air current and pulling sharply up into a haphazard glide. He half-flew half-hovered the rest of the way and managed to grab at the rough edge of the platform with the very tips of his claws.

Spyro gasped, fighting against gravity as he dragged himself back onto solid ground, Sparx landed roughly on one of the rocks sticking out of the dirt, chattering in alarm. Y-you idiot!> he shrieked in Spyro's ears. I told you it wasn't safe, you could have been killed!>

'D-do you want to catch this guy… or not?' Spyro gasped, realising he was shaking from shock as he tried to pull himself together, trying not to imagine what could have just happened had he been a few seconds slower. He looked up quickly, staring at where the thief had been moments ago. There was no sign of him. Spyro leapt to his feet gasping as he saw a shadow shifting around the rocky corner.

He's getting away again!> Sparx yelled.

'Wanna bet?' Spyro snapped, by now his fear and frustration had turned to all out anger as he raced around the corner after the shadow…

Then there was a loud, painful sounding CRACK. Something made hard contact with his right side, jolting him several feet into the air and sending him thumping into the canyon wall. Spyro tried to gasp in pain, then realised he couldn't as his lungs had been all but flattened by the impact.

He tried to come to his senses wondering what in the name of dragondom had hit him. Fighting for breath he looked desperately up at the shining speck of gold –no, blue – shimmering anxiously above him. Sparx was crying out in alarm. Spyro! Are you alright? Oh why didn't you see that coming?>

Spyro tried to answer, he felt deadened by surprised. What the hell could have snuck up on him like that?

A few seconds later he got the answer, pulling himself to his feet groaning in pain, Spyro's eyes fell on a huge, black skinned monster gripping a club in it's claws.

Gnorc.

A very big, very dangerous looking Gnorc at that.

Spyro staggered to his feet, somehow managing to drag in enough air to curse himself for being caught out like that. He looked around but there was no sign of the egg thief. Only this monster towering over him with a curious smirk on its ugly flat face.

Spyro grit his teeth in rage, his heart hammering. He tried to draw in a huge breath in order to give this Gnorc the roasting of its life, but it was difficult to even force the air into his lungs. His stomach hurt and his left side was aching where his bones had hit the cavern wall. Never in his life had Spyro thought a lumbering, dim-witted Gnorc could give him a blow like that.

And now, in his lost moment, it gave him another. To the left side this time again, forcing him back against the cavern wall, Spyro slumped over in an astonished daze.

Spyro,!> Sparx was all but panicking. Spyro saw the insect make a daring leap at the huge Gnorc's face, ramming into it with his tiny head. You rotten Gnorc, leave him alone!>

'Sparx!' Spyro gasped, 'Sparx, don't!'

It was the most ridiculous fight Spyro had ever seen In his life. After only a few second of swiping at Sparx like you would an annoying fly, the Gnorc let out a violent screech of anger and Sparx was caught in the air of it's breath and send flying backwards, whining in alarm as he hit the wall and sank down besides Spyro. The Gnorc sniggered violently, obviously enjoying himself.

Sparx staggered up dazedly, buzzing anxiously around his Dragon's nose. Spyro!> he yelled. wake the heck up!>

Spyro was awake alright, awake and fuming. _Nobody_ did that to him and _nobody_ did that to his Dragonfly! He forced his black eyes open and Sparx saw them sparkle with a mixture of pain and rage.

Where Spyro was concerned, that was a deadly combination. He looked up at the dragonfly, drawing a breath as he saw the colour in the tiny insect's skin fading from turquoise blue to shabby green. 'Sparx,' he croaked softly, 'get… away.' Sparx hesitated, looking confused as to what Spyro meant. He wasn't honestly telling him to LEAVE him alone was he?

S-Spyro?>

'You've got to get out of here Sparx… go on, now! While it's distracted.'

The dragonfly couldn't seem to say anything, it was as if the shock of Spyro's words, –and seeing him pitched around like a rag doll– had struck the poor guy dumb. He uttered a soft high pitched whine of alarm. 'Go, Sparx now. Get away from here, it's not… interested in you.'

Hearing this, Sparx found his tongue (or whatever it is dragonflies have instead of tongues). I-I can't!>

'You have to, if you stay here this thing will crush you.'

All of a sudden there was the loud sound of chattering and excited laughter. Spyro looked up to see that his first Gnorc now had company, several much smaller, greener creatures had gathered curiously in the big guys shadow, hiding their fat faces behind silver shields and what looked disturbingly like sombrero's. Their black eyes leering at Spyro in interest. Spyro hesitated, growing increasingly nervous now. There seemed so many of them. More than he'd ever seen in one place at one time in his life.

'Oh… great,' Spyro gasped, trying to force air into his crushed lungs. 'Look, now his… buddies are here!'

I'm not going anywhere, Spyro, I'm staying with you. I can fight!>

'Sparx, that's crap and you know it… do you _have_ a death wish?' Spyro snapped. 'Don't you get it? You're just a little insect, you can't fight these guys!'

I can try! Please, don't make me!>

'You can't stay! I've taken on worse than this before, Sparx!' he tried to look encouraging –which is hard when you've got Gnorcs closing in on you from all sides– and forced himself to smile. 'I… I'll be alright on my own, I promise, you have to get away from here now! Anyway I… I need you to find that damn thief for me!'

Don't! You can't make a promise like that! Spyro—>

The dragonfly's intended speech about sticking together no matter what was cut short by a sudden lash of a sword as a single Rhynoc leapt from the crowd and struck at Spyro's face. The blade missed by inches as Spyro tore his head out of the way and drew in a breath. A smoky blast of flame burst from his aching lungs and into the Gnorc's face sending him staggering back with cries of pain and a pitch black face. Spyro coughed and reeled, choking on his own fire breath, still half winded by his collision with the cavern wall. The Gnorcs saw this as an opportunity and one of them lurched forwards to push the butt of a sword into Spyro's face, sending him –yet again– back into the now rather fractured tower of stone. Spyro let out an angry growl as he pulled himself back to his feet, knowing that he was probably just going to end up on the ground again.

Leave. Him. Alone!> Sparx wailed, his kazoo voice shrieking with fear and anger. He felt something tearing at his conscience that was worse than any Gnorc's attack.

Spyro scowled, unable to stand it a moment longer. He sucked in as much air as his battered lungs could take and turned towards Sparx. 'I said get away from here!' he yelled, his voice cracking with pain as he drew in that sharp, hot breath and let it out burning. Sparx had to leap sharply away from the jet of scarlet flame that burst from Spyro's lips and was aimed in his direction.

Spyro watched in a mixture of guilt, shock and relief as he saw the dragonfly race away across the canyon in fear, putting a safe distance between himself and the Gnorcs. He allowed himself a brief grin, then turned his breath on the Gnorcs. One of them leapt back, holding it's eyes and crying out in pain as it was blinded by embers.

Spyro pulled himself up. His left side felt cold and numb and without Sparx, everything seemed to hurt ten times as badly as it had before. He drew a breath and fired again, this time at the Gnorc with a shield, closest to his right side. The creature screeched as the heated armour burned it and dropped the shield to the ground. Seeing his chance, Spyro staggered up and thrust his horns as hard as he could into the creature's gut. There was a sharp, agonized scream as the Gnorc's body was burst open and it vanished in a puff of dirt and smoke. A single shining red item dropped to the ground in front of him, shimmering as it hit the earth. A single gem was all that remained of the torched Gnorc's body.

Funny that that was all they really were. Spyro grinned again, fed by adrenaline as he leapt back to face the Gnorc who had struck him first lurching under a second, smaller creatures shield and jolting him into the air on the end of his horns. The Gnorc hurtled crying into the canyon wall with a sharp CRACK. _'Ha! See how THEY like it!'_

The largest creature who had attacked first now looked confused and apprehensive and had his club raised well above his face. Spyro's grin widened. Like THAT was going to stop him! He drew a breath and prepared himself to give this Gnorc a flaming it wouldn't live to remember…

_Pain_! A staggering jolt of agony raced up his right side and Spyro couldn't help but let out a cry as both his right legs gave way beneath him. It felt like something inside him had been crushed to pieces and had only just decided to let him know about it.

A single smaller Gnorc uttered a cackle of curiosity, it reached gingerly out poking Spyro in the side with its sword, trying to draw blood. Spyro snapped at it angrily and tried to attack, but his feet weren't cooperating. The Gnorc grinned, seeing its opportunity, it lurched out as Spyro with its claws spread open.

Spyro felt its fist tighten round his throat and arm and it took all his determination not to cry out in fear and frustration.

All of a sudden there was a sharp flash of light and one of the Gnorcs gave a scream of terror and staggered back clutching its eyes. There was the sound of scrabbling and alarm as the Gnorcs scattered, but that was all Spyro had time to see before the largest of the Gnorcs tightened it's grip on his neck and delivered a last, violent blow with the butt of the club.

( )

( )

Spyro opened his eyes and sighed irritably, the cold crystals of his breath making patterns in the air mixed in with the orange splinters of his fire breath. He tried to remember, with some difficulty, the last time he and Sparx had had a conversation like they used to have in the balloons.

True, there hadn't been much time for conversation lately. Places to go, people to see, Gnorcs to reduce to ashes and all that, but…

_It was never the same with you and Sparx after Gnasty, was it Spyro? Especially not after that Egg Thief incident…_

'Ah put a sock in it!' Spyro snapped, then felt embarrassed as he realised he was yelling at himself, and you couldn't shut out the sound of your own thoughts.

_It's true. Sparx changed. He stopped being just a friend and started being your guardian, your protector. You sort of merged together like, mixing different colours to create something new_. Spyro scoffed sceptically at his own thoughts.

_A dragon being protected by a flimsy little insect…_

_I hated it. I hated watching you get hurt for me. I hated watching you fade to a duller shade every time something struck me down or tossed me up._

_You remember Doctor Shemp, don't you Sparx? Remember the monsters trying to run us off the cliffs and the creatures that tried to throw us into boiling pots? We were just kids then, didn't really know what we were doing except that whatever it was it was the right thing and it had to be done. I got beat up and knocked down more time than I could count. I asked you then. Why'd you stick by me through all that when it hurt you so damn bad?_

_You just told me I was worth it._

_That made me proud. That made me feel like I was something worth fighting for too. Somebody cared about me, like I cared about everyone else._

_Maybe that's why I let you keep doing it. I let you keep getting hurt. After all that was what you wanted, wasn't it?_

( )

( )

When his eyes opened, Spyro found himself lying on a patch of ground that was strangely cool in the raging heat of the canyon. He turned over, wincing as his right side prickled with pins and needles, but no pain. Beneath him was a hexagonal patch of clear marble –an empty dragon platform where one of the imprisoned dragons Spyro had already freed had once stood frozen.

He blinked his eyes, confused, trying to remember exactly what had happened. He felt something soft tickling the side of his neck, it felt like the brush of papery wings and he sat up sharply, only for stars to start flashing before his eyes so he had to lie down again.

'Sparx?' he groaned.

That was when he realised the soft tickle was not from the wings of a dragonfly, but of a fairy. She smiled at him, brushing a strand of honey blonde hair back from her shining green eyes. Spyro gazed at her for a moment, puzzled. 'Sorry I… D-did you… help me?' he asked.

The fairy nodded violently. It formed a series of symbols with its hands, a kind of sign language – "found you," then she pointed in the direction of the cliffs where Spyro had been.

Spyro winced, shaking his numb, useless wings as he tried to pull himself together. The fairy started to sign something else, but Spyro didn't know much fairy sign language and couldn't tell what she was saying, until she grinned and clenched her fists, pretending to box at something invisible in the air, then she pulled out a wand and fired it, as if at an invisible enemy. A thin dart of blue lighting shivered through the air before the fairy drew it back and blew a trail of smoke away from the wand's tip, grinning heroically.

Spyro took that to mean that she had given those Gnorcs what you might call a bashing they'd not forget in a hurry. He grinned amusedly –it was hard to picture this delicate, pretty, frail-looking creature doing anything like that. But then again fairies were ten times as tough as they appeared and was cute as they looked, they were not beyond hurting you. Heck, just one short burst of electricity from a fairy's wand would kill about a million brain cells!

'So you rescued me… Thanks,' he whispered.

The fairy grinned, her cheeks blushing as she shrugged as if to say "it was nothing." Spyro stood upright as the last of his pins and needles faded. _I've been beaten up by Gnorcs, rescued by a fairy and outwitted by a canyon thief, _he thought, shaking his head, _how embarrassing. _

That was when he remembered the thief… dammit, how could he be so stupid? The wretched creature was probably miles away by now and the egg was probably frying over a volcanic crater. Spyro felt his heart sink. There was no way he'd get it back now.

_This really isn't my day… _

Then he remembered somebody even more important, and felt an anxious chill.

'Maybe… maybe you can help me again,' he said uneasily. Feeling a little guilty about asking her for something. The fairy stood on the ground in front of him, her hands behind her back, her papery wings twitching. There was a look on her face as if she'd never seen a dragon up close before. Or at least, not one like him (but then there weren't many dragons like Spyro). It was actually a little embarrassing. 'I… I need to find my friend.'

( )

( )

_This really isn't my day…_

Spyro cursed as he prodded the bars of the cage gingerly with his horns. He had by now resigned himself to the fact that there was no way out of here on his own. Every attack he used was thrown straight back at him. Red had sent a monster to defeat the "wretched little dragon whelp" running around destroying his crystals and it had done exactly what he wanted.

His mind started wandering again, trying to distract itself from the cold. for some reason, he got to thinking about the Ceremony. The Unification, they called it. It had last taken place just last year and was the time when the new infant dragons were paired with the dragonflies in an unbreakable bond of magic that would last a lifetime.

_I should've let you go while you still had the chance… Which stupid Elder decided it was a good idea to partner dragons with dragonflies anyway?_

Spyro and Sparx had never had a ceremony. Spyro had hatched ridiculously late and Sparx had been the only dragonfly left. He had never minded that. Not having some big, long-winded ritual to worry about had made their friendship feel a lot less formal somehow. Besides, the Elder dragons could tell that Sparx had grown attached to Spyro right from the beginning. It had seemed a perfect match, with or without a ceremony. Spyro had felt glad of it. The other dragonflies were bound to their partner by chains of magic, but Sparx wasn't like that. He was no prisoner. He had stayed with Spyro because he wanted to. At least, that was what Spyro had always thought.

Fifteen years later at the next Ceremony, Ripto had come to the dragon worlds and cast a spell that tore all the dragonflies away. Even Sparx had vanished altogether. He hadn't gone far. The spell had malfunctioned and Spyro and Bianca found him less than half an hour later, buzzing around in a blind panic inside one of the castle vestibules. Spyro remembered running into that room practically screaming Sparx's name._ "I thought I'd lost you buddy!"_

Spyro remembered how lonely it had been.

One half-hour had felt like a lifetime.

Then he remembered the very first thought he'd had when Sparx vanished, and the memory made his cold body burn with guilt: "How am I meant to fight Ripto without my dragonfly?"

His first thought had been worry for himself. Not for Sparx, not for the person who really deserved his concern. That just wasn't right. Spyro NEVER thought about himself…

In all these years he'd never been able to quite get that shame-ridden memory out of his head. If he'd felt helpless right then how must Sparx have been, torn away from his only source of protection? Spyro had his flame-breath, raw nerve and natural energy to rely on. Sparx had…

Well, Sparx didn't have anything much, except an uncanny knack for sharing pain and stopping things from hurting.

So maybe that was the only purpose Sparx had, Spyro thought, wrapping his tail around himself, folding down his wings and lying quite still on the floor of his cage. Just some convenient little glow-worm who came in handy in a fight when you needed some extra hit points. Wasn't that what ALL Dragonflies were for? And was Spyro just some kind of insurance policy that Sparx could cling to so that he didn't have to face the world alone?

Was the dragonfly's worry for Spyro really just the same as Spyro's had been the day Ripto cast the spell that made him vanish? Worry for himself, disguised as concern for a companion?

_No…_

No. Never that. Not Sparx. And Spyro had never used Sparx as a tool, never!

_I don't want a protector now, Sparx, can't you see that? You didn't have to do all that for me._

_I just want a friend. Somebody to sympathise with the pain, not feel it with me. Now it just feels like you're doing this out of duty. Hanging around my shoulder because you think that's where you ought to be. Or because you're too scared to go anywhere else. You stood by me, and because of that, you turned your back on..._

_ Well, you._

If Sparx was alive right now, Spyro thought, then he was bound to be looking for him, searching in a panic for his missing other half. He'd probably try to make his way to the citadel. Spyro hoped he didn't try to do that alone. He'd never make it through the ice and snow. Sparx was too vulnerable on his own, too weak and easily trodden on, in more ways than one.

And that had almost happened too many times before. Spyro remembered losing him in the Crystal Glaciers and watching him vanish inside a snow beast's jaws. The little dragonfly had wanted to stick close to Spyro all the time. He could have flown back, put a safe distance between himself and that monster, but he stayed clinging to the edge of Spyro's aura like he was tied to him with unbreakable string. Chained.

So when the monster leered in to snatch Spyro up in its jaws and Spyro moved, it had gotten Sparx instead. Spyro remembered hearing a strange muffled crunch that he had sworn must have been his dragonfly and a strange, sick panic curdling in his stomach.

Thank goodness the Snow Beast had been allergic to dragons and had chosen that moment to start sneezing…

Spyro swallowed. He had to stop thinking about things like that. He had to stop thinking about Sparx being flattered, mauled or crunched and seeing his tiny face contort with pain he wasn't even supposed to feel –pain that was meant to be Spyro's pain and Spyro's alone.

But he couldn't deny it, no matter how he tried. Without Spyro, Sparx would be about as much use as a… bottle of sunscreen in Frozen Alters…

_Damn it, Sparx. You shouldn't have to go through this. I dragged you into this mess._

_I see it in your face, every time I send you sneaking through cracks in the wall for me to get to places I can't and every time you start changing colour to tell me I'm hurt when I already know._

_You never TALK to me about it… Maybe it's because you've been hurt so much you can't think of anything else to say. You've lost that glitter you had when I was a kid. There's nothing left of the old Sparx anymore. He got hurt too much and ran away, leaving you behind in his place._

_And you know that don't you? Deep down you know that._

_Where are you?_

_Be alive, Sparx, please. Be alive and think I'm gone and there's noone left you feel you have a duty to. You don't have to stick by me anymore. Don't have to be anyone but you. I'll lose, Sparx. I'll lose for the very first time and I don't care. I'll die, right here and now if it means you get to be free of me._

( )

( )

The fairy led Spyro over the rocks of the dry canyon, pulling at his wings every now and then and signing something he didn't understand. He kept following her for what felt like forever amongst the cavern rocks and passageways. The air had started to grow noticeably cooler as the day turned unto evening and Spyro knew that in a couple of hours the temperature in the desert would drop below freezing. Well, as long as he'd found Sparx by then. Though in honest fact he didn't have a clue what he'd be doing way out here.

The fairy stopped near a large pool filled with shining violet liquid, like melted amethyst. Spyro leaned down towards it, sniffing at it curiously. It seemed to be a kind of molten sulphur and the scent burned in his throat so he snapped away from it quickly wincing in disgust. The fairy giggled and pointed over the rocks. Signing a single word that even Spyro understood as she did so, clenching one hand over the other and drawing them in to her heart: "friend."

Spyro smiled at her slightly before stepping up and over the rocks she stood on and looking out into the violet pool. There, not far away, a small gold glimmer was hovering at the edge of the indigo lake, staring dejectedly into its shining surface.

Spyro's heart skipped a beat with relief. 'Sparx! Sparx!'

The small glimmer of gold leapt up off the rocks in alarm and turned sharply in Spyro's direction, for a moment seeming confused, Spyro felt a grin spread across his face.

S-Spyro?!> Sparx cried. Spyro allowed himself a laugh as he ran towards his dragonfly.

'Sparx… thank goodness I found you, I thought you'd vanished on me!'

OhSpyro!> Sparx gasped, hovering up close to him, brushing his wings against his neck. Spyro I-I didn't know what to do, I thought they'd killed you.>

'Who me?' Spyro laughed, putting on his broadest grin. 'The day some slimy, flea bitten Gnorc manages to kill me off is the day Delbin gets himself a personality change! Don't look so freaked Sparx, it's all okay now.' (he didn't mention the rather awkward fact that he'd been rescued by a two-foot tall fairy). 'What on earth are you doing out here?' Spyro asked, confused. 'This place is awful… can't you SMELL it?'

Sparx drew back, landing on a rock in front of him and rubbing his two front feet together anxiously. Spyro got the strangest feeling that the tiny bug had been hiding. He wouldn't have blamed him.

I lost it,> Sparx said eventually. Spyro frowned.

'What?'

The thief. I lost him Spyro. I couldn't keep up. He got away.> Spyro hesitated, nervously, noting the remorse in his small friend's face. It made his heart break.

'Oh…' he mumbled softly, 'It's alright, pal. That's not important now… There'll be another chance.'

No there won't,> the dragonfly stated sadly, and deep down Spyro knew he was right. That dragon egg was gone. (By now, probably poached…) There was a brief moment of uneasy silence. Spyro looked back over his shoulder, but his fairy had gone, as if she sensed they needed some alone time.

The dragon turned hesitantly back to his best friend, sitting quietly on the rocks. He had locked the dragon in a bright eyed stare, wearing a small smile that made Spyro feel even worse about lashing out like he had.

'Sparx buddy, I'm sorry about this… I didn't mean to…'

He started to walk towards him, but Sparx leapt into the air and inched away, suddenly nervous. 'What is it?' Spyro frowned, suddenly getting the feeling that perhaps things weren't all okay now after all. Then he noticed the thin black scalds along the dragonflies narrow wings and felt a lump of pain in his throat. 'Oh no, Sparx did _I _do that?'

Y-you didn't,> the dragonfly's voice was a nervous whisper. Spyro reached out towards him with a claw and Sparx drew sharply away, lurching out of his hold. No!>

'Sparx… it's okay I-I just wanna take a look.'

It's nothing, it doesn't matter Spyro, just… leave it alone…>

'Let me see, it looks like I really hurt you. I-I won't do that to you again. EVER.'

Oh get off!> The dragonfly zipped sharply away from Spyro's claw, his singed wings beating hard. His tone was suddenly so sharp and mad and Spyro drew back in total surprise.

'Sparx?' he frowned.

Sparx didn't say anything, but felt both alarmed and amazed as he saw something in Spyro's eyes that he'd never seen before. He muttered something under his breath and Spyro swallowed hard, feeling unnerved. 'O-okay okay,' he said softly. 'Okay, I won't touch them. Let's just… get back to the homeworld, alright?'

He turned and slowly started to walk back towards the Caverns in a bemused silence, wondering what he'd done. Hadn't everything turned out okay? Was Sparx angry because he'd burnt him?

The horrible truth hit Spyro with a similar force as the Gnorc's club had struck him in the face. He was angry enough with _himself_. He'd hurt Sparx.

'Sorry,' he said softly, coming to a stop and giving Sparx a long stare. The dragonfly stopped in his tracks, hovering in mid air without looking in Spyro's direction. 'I didn't mean to hurt you, Sparx, but… they would have _killed_ you…'

No> Sparx whispered, whimpering slightly. It wasn't you… _I'm_ sorry…>

'No _I'm_ sorry.' Spyro reinforced. 'When they finished with me they might have went for you. I just… couldn't watch that happen to you, I-I had to get you away and… you wouldn't go so… so I tried to make you the only way I knew how. Friends don't let that kind of thing happen to each other, Sparx.'

I'm the one who should be sorry,> Sparx reinforced, sounding frustrated now. It's my mess.>

'What? What're you—'

I'm the one who left you.>

Spyro hesitated, blinking at Sparx in total astonishment, the little dragonfly should have been furious with him, for making him go, for lashing out and hurting him, for burning his wings. Why not? Why wasn't he mad?

'But… I MADE you. There was nothing you could do, Sparx. Except maybe get _yourself_ killed.'

It's not the point> Sparx buzzed quietly. He hovered so that he was facing the dragon, looking right into the deep black of his eyes. Dragonflies stay with their dragons no matter what. It's my fault I burned. I deserved it.> Spyro shook his head.

'Sparx, quit talking like that, it's not true, you know it's not true!'

You're my best friend, Sparx said, and i bolted on you... you're my best friend Spyro.> he hesitated. Aren't you?>

'Of _course_ I am, Sparx. I'm so sorry I just… I wanted to protect you that's all.'

No protecting me,> Sparx whispered, dumbly, no protecting, that's my job.>

'Your JOB? What do you mean it's your JOB? Sparx, I don't expect you to get hurt for _me_!'

I promise I won't ever leave you again, Spyro.>

Spyro scowled, shaking his head back and forth in irritation and confusion. Why was he doing this?

'Sparx why do you have to be so—'

I PROMISE... just let me, Spyro, please! If you really care then… then you'll let me.> Sparx's voice snapped again so sharply in Spyro's head that it felt like pins and needles, but it was less forceful this time. The tone and expression the dragonfly held was so solid and unyielding that Spyro found himself completely unable to argue. He kept his mouth firmly shut, and Sparx seemed to take this as a good thing.

'_He was _worried_ about me?!' _Spyro felt as if someone had hit him again. Nobody had _ever_ cared about him in that way before. So much so that they'd be quite willing to die just to keep him safe. All this time, and he'd never realised Sparx thought so highly of him._ 'Good grief, he _really_ cares about me!' _

Sparx hovered around and settled gently on Spyro's back, near the purple patterned ridge in his scales, where the sharpened spines of a dragon had yet to grow. Spyro craned his neck back to see him, his nose nuzzling the tips of the dragonfly's large, slightly charred wings.

Let's get out of here,> Sparx mumbled tiredly, and when Spyro looked up, he realised a thin orange glow had cast across the sky and the blanket of darkness was just creeping in around the canyons as night began to fall. Before those Gnorcs decide to come back again… I really don't want another meeting with those creeps tonight, Spyro.>

'It's okay pal,' he said, smiling, and deep down he felt the strangest stab of pride glowing hotter than the fire in his lungs. 'I'll keep my eye on you… and that's my promise. Ok?'

( )

( )

"Hey Spyro? Spyro are you alright?"

Spyro opened his eyes for the third time, wincing in pain as ice cracked on his eyelids. He never realised that your face could freeze over like that! He shook his head to clear it and pulled himself off the ground.

Spyro!

'Hey down here!'

_What the… _Spyro leaned gingerly out through his bars, trying not to rock the cage and looked down at the floor. His heart started thumping as he hardly dared to hope. _Is that who I think it is?_

A figure stood in the shadow below, a bow and arrow clutched in his hands. A pair of brilliant cerulean-blue eyes gazed up to meet with Spyro's black ones.

Hunter.

And hovering at his shoulder was a soft glimmer of moving gold. Sparx. Spyro felt a stab of something hard and sharp at his heart. And wasn't quite sure whether it was hope or dread. _"Sparx…"_

'Hunter!' Spyro yelled, for a minute forgetting the numb pain in his feet. He grit his teeth so Hunter couldn't see them chattering. 'Boy am I glad to see you!' The cheetah waved, giving him a lopsided grin.

'Need a hand buddy? What the heck happened?'

_What happened? I got too damn cocky for my own good and got mauled by a mammoth, that's what happened, Hunter. _'Um… little misunderstanding with one of the locals, can you… get me down? I'm freezing my wings off up here!' Hunter grinned.

'No problem. Sit tight, this won't take a sec.'

Spyro watched as Hunter drew out an arrow, fitted it into a bow and drew it taut. Then with the most perfect aim Spyro had ever seen in his life, the arrow flew straight and stuck itself with a soft twang in the lock of the cage. There was a crack of the lock breaking and the door swung open without a creak.

Spyro grinned. Only Hunter could think of opening a cage like that. He waited a moment, checking his deadened wings were still flight-worthy, then leapt out and hovered back to earth. He landed in the thin layer of snow that coated the bottom of the building. A rush of hope spilled through him making everything seem instantly ten times warmer as he breathed a couple of blasts of fire to heat things up, trying to steady himself and get his blood flowing.

He looked up at the dragonfly, then at Hunter. 'You okay, pal?' Hunter asked.

'I am now,' Spyro shook his wings to disperse some of the deadness. 'Thanks Hunter, I thought I was gonna be stuck there until… well forever.' Then he smiled as best he could in greeting at Sparx as he fluttered back to his shoulder and started fussing.

_I should've known he'd be okay, Sparx is a survivor. He just found another shoulder to cling to for a while, that's all._

_So how'd it feel, Hunter? Having a ready-made suit of armour attached to your heart? Being able to take the pain of being hit again and again 'cause he drained it all in for you? Strange isn't it, that one little insect can make you feel so tough?_

'How'd you guys get here?' Spyro exclaimed. 'I mean how did you find me?'

'Well, Sparx sensed where you'd be and we… followed his intuition I guess. We came through the Caverns.' Hunter grinned.

'The Glacier Caverns?' Spyro blinked. 'You came all the way through there?'

'Ah it was nothing. Just putting the old superior feline abilities to good use,' Hunter said, smugly. 'Took a trip through a few underground tunnels, jumped a few bottomless gorges, beat up a giant spider or two, knocked some switches… oh Bentley says hi by the way. Worst thing down there were the bone guys,' he muttered shaking his head. 'Living skeletons! I mean of all the damn clichés they could've picked, they had to go and throw the living dead out at me… talk about predictable!'

You didn't say that when you were screaming your head off.>

Hunter frowned. 'Ah zip it, Sparx, they caught me by surprise that's all!'

Sparx sniggered. It sounded like an out of tune old kazoo whistle. Spyro looked up at Hunter, grinning in relief.

'I'm glad to see ya, Hunter. I thought I was gonna freeze to death.'

'You?' Hunter smiled and shrugged his shoulders. 'Nah, if you're ever gonna die anywhere, Spyro, then it'll be out there somewhere doing something majorly dumb and fun at the same time, not just sitting in a freezing cold cage. Goin' out with style an' all that, you know.' Spyro made himself smile.

'You got that right. I don't plan on dying in a cage.' _In fact I don't plan on dying, period, Hunter_.

'How'd you end up in there anyway? Sparx said somethin' about a… giant, hairy elephant.'

'The Mammoth?' Spyro blushed, feeling embarrassed at having to explain to his friend how the gutsy hero Spyro the Dragon had ended up hanging helpless in a cage and having an emotional crisis. 'Oh yeah… It's kinda fuzzy. I think I got… stood on or something… it sorta took me by surprise.'

You shouldn't tease the bad guys...> Sparx muttered. Spyro rolled his large black eyes.

'Yes mother.'

Oh very funny> Sparx muttered dryly. But he had by now made himself comfy in his usual spot at Spyro's shoulder and was smiling softly to himself with this weirdly reassuring "Great, I-knew-he'd-be-okay-now-I can-stop-freaking-from-worrying-so-much," look on his face.

Hunter shrugged. 'So… is my work here done, Spys? Can I get back to target practise now and quit shedding form worrying about ya so much?' Spyro made himself grin again.

'Nothing to worry about here, Hunter,' he lied. 'Just keep your eyes out for the Dark gems… oh and if you spot any of those damn vultures knock a few tail feathers out for me will ya? They've been pecking at me for the last five hours!' Hunter laughed.

'Sure. Hey Spyro?'

'Yeah?'

'Want me to… you know, tag along?'

Tag along?

Spyro hesitated, seeming surprised by the query. In truth he was. He felt a lump in his throat. Hell he'd been waiting for someone to ask him that question for years. '_Of course I want you to, Hunter_.' He thought.'Do _you think I WANT to do all this alone? You think I wanna face some monster who betrayed dragon kind and risk being hammered to death or chewed to pieces or frozen in a blizzard all by myself_?'

'U-Um…' Spyro searched for his tongue but it seemed to have become numb and voiceless again.

_Say it Spyro, he scolded himself, angrily. All you've gotta do is shrug your shoulders and say "yeah sure" and you won't have to do this on your own…_

_No. I can't put him through that. Anyone who sticks by me loses themselves eventually. They get hurt, beaten and eventually just fall into place in my shadow. That's what happened to Sparx. Every time he came back, there was a little bit less of him than there was before._

_No way, Hunter, I care too much about you to do that to you too. I know I'm scared but…_

_No, Spyro don't say that aloud, don't even _think_ it. What'll Hunter think if he hears you saying something dumb like that? What if he sees you crying? He'll freak!_

_You're the brave one, remember? You're meant to be the hero. _

'Uh… no. No that's okay. I'll catch you later Hunter.' Hunter gave Spyro a slight frown, as if he didn't quite believe him.

'Yeah okay. But next time you wanna go gettin' yourself hammered, do me a big favour and do it somewhere _warm_. I mean why do the major rescue missions always have to be in the most freezing cold places on the globe? I mean cheetah losing his tail here!'

Spyro waited for Hunter to clamber up the wall back to the window he had come through. With a final 'watch yourself, Spys, no more getting locked in cages,' he vanished. There was a yelp and the sound of Hunter thumping on the hard ground outside, a little cursing at a vulture, then silence.

Sparx rose and swept around Spyro's head checking for damages. 'You came after me,' Spyro mumbled. It was impossible to tell from his tone whether he was happy or not.

Did you doubt me?>

'Nah,' Spyro smiled. 'I'd never doubt you Sparx. you're always there for me…' _Maybe too much_.

Just doing my job> Sparx said cheerfully. As soon as the big, hairy guy spat me out, I went straight back to the village and found Hunter. We looked everywhere for you. I thought you'd gone forever.> His tone took on a slight whimper at the end. Spyro sighed inwardly.

'I know, Sparx. Sorry I never reckoned on getting stamped on.'

Well it was a giant elephant with hair and huge feet!> Sparx wailed. What did you THINK it was going to try and do?>

Spyro shrugged and rolled his eyes, stretching out his cold wings. 'I dunno… run around for a bit unsuccessfully trying to squash me and occasionally firing projectiles before pausing for breath and giving me the opportunity to hit it in its weak-spot three times over and take it out? You know, the way it ALWAYS works when I fight the bad guy?'

It didn't work that way this time though, did it? That's what you get for making presumptions. You could be really hurt going on like that. You're not indestructible you know! Besides… I dunno what I'd do if anything bad happened.>

Spyro tensed slightly, shuffling uncomfortably. 'Ah don't go with the sentimental stuff on me, Sparx.'

I mean it! You scared the sparkle outta me, Spyro, I've told you before about getting overconfident, it only leads to trouble! You always end up frightening me!>

_Frightening? _Spyro repeated that word silently over and over in his mind, trying to think what it meant._ Guess I do, but what's so frightening, Sparx? Being _without_ me or just being alone with noone to feel for and noone to hurt for? _

_Here he is again, right there over my shoulder. I can feel him on the inside. I get your relief, Sparx. You're glad to be back…_

Spyro looked about until he saw a way out and walked towards the exit with Sparx in tow, still running through the do's and don'ts of battling the enemy. He felt a strange emptiness that kept on growing, no matter how much he spat out flames trying to clear it. Icy air whipped around the building like a moaning voice, drowning out Sparx's chatter. Spyro shivered, but this time it wasn't from cold.

He felt his heart sink deeper inside him.

…_Well, you're not back, Sparx. You just think you are. You think you have to feel my pain to really be worth anything to me, but the Sparx I made friends with is gone now, and he has been for years. You're just my guardian. I need you here to protect me and that's just that._

_Well… maybe the old Sparx is in there. Somewhere._

_You're right here next to me, Sparx, but I still miss you so damn bad. You get that don't you?_

_Am I still worth it, Sparx? Am I still worth hurting for, or would you be a thousand times better off without me?_

Spyro looked at Sparx as they trod through the snowdrift and into the depths of the citadel. They could see nothing but the snow, coating the buildings and the thin, worn grey of the citadel walls and the occasional glint of light from a crystal window, glazed under the bleakness of the dark-crystal poisoned sky. There were no Gnorcs to be seen, but Spyro could taste them on the air. Feeling the enemies presence as effectively as Sparx tasted pain.

_I should've asked Hunter to come. Can't believe I said no._

_Why do I feel like this? Why do I feel like there's nobody here but me?_

_Okay Spyro, cut it out, now you're just getting paranoid._

He looked briefly over in Sparx's direction. There was a pointless smile on the Dragonfly's face as he chattered away to noone in particular. Just a bug, Spyro warned himself. Thing-on-the-hero's-shoulder. That's what you're meant to be and that's the way you stay. And so what if you get hurt because of all my stupid, reckless accidents, because you're my dragonfly and that's what you're supposed to do.

Spyro took a deep breath. He tried to convince himself that he really believed that. He tried to be relieved to be alive as he walked into the drift. He tried not to think about how much he wanted Sparx back the way he had been once, a long, long time ago. But he just couldn't do it, no matter how he tried, he couldn't convince himself of any of those things.

_See that's just the thing Sparx. even you don't see it, but I'm scared. Scared of Red, scared of the dark crystals… Scared that if this fighting keeps up and you keep on taking in all this pain for me, one day you're going to lose whatever pieces of yourself you have left. You are NOT just a sharer, you are NOT just a bug, you are NOT just there to help me stay alive, and you sure as hell shouldn't "just be doing your job."_

_Because that's not what friendship is about Sparx… and that's not what you need from me._

Spyro started as he felt something moving on his back. Sparx had landed besides the ridge of yellow spines going from his head to the tip of his tail and was making himself comfortable. He tickled.

You're cold,> Spys he said quietly, more curious than concerned. Spyro craned his neck back, his nose barely touching the dragonfly's folded-back wings. He dug his claws into the snowdrift, knowing that this was going to be the pinnacle of their conversation.

'What d'you expect, Sparx? It's snowing…'

_…I don't wanna be alone, Sparx._

**Phew… and CUT!**

**Well? What do you reckon? I was trying to go for the deep, emotional anxiety story line, which isn't easy when your hero is three feet tall, bright purple, adorable and designed for people ages 3 right?… Right? **

**Personally, I'm not mad about A Hero's Tail. Don't get me wrong, it's a fun game for newcomers, but any old-school Spyro fans are going to notice that they've completely changed most of the characters. I mean does anyone else think Hunter now sounds like he comes from Washington D.C.? **

**Anyway whatcha think? R R please, constructive criticism welcome, but flamers will be hunted down and shot . Please, feel completely free to tell me if it's too boring or corny or doesn't make sense. I'd rather hear it from you that that darn Muse of mine –I mean we all love her to bits here, but the girl just _doesn't_ know how to sugar her pills! I mean—**

Erm, hang on a sec… 

**What? Oh! Erm… heh-heh… hi there Musey, where did you come from?**

**W-what? Oh no, no, I wasn't talking about you behind your back, of course I wasn't. I was just erm… asking for reviews… yeah that's it, I was asking for some reviews from all the readers out there, see? **

**So erm… review away people, feel free to tell me exactly what you think and pick this story to bits if you really want to.**

**Yeah um… you can… get back in your jam jar now, Musey… see you later.)**

**Okay people, that's a wrap ****! For now… **


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